Our certified clinic al center (ISO 9001) is a facility for maximum medical care for children and adolescents up to the end of the 2nd decade of life. Older patients also stay with us for special illnesses.

Prof. Dr. James Beck
Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena

Pediatrics

Research projects

Biomimetic reconstruction of tissue structures using the example of the hematopoietic stem cell niche

Principal investigator: Prof. Dr. James Beck
BMBF 2016 - 2020

Human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) can produce all types of blood cell lineages. Aim of our project is an effective in vitro expansion of HSCs prior to a clinical application using the combination of our novel 3D bone marrow-like cell culture scaffolds made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and an optimized culture medium. We show that this approach activates key molecular signaling pathways important for pluripotency maintenance during in vitro culture and thus, leads to an efficient amplification of undifferentiated HSCs.

Anticancer effects of the PLK4 inhibitors CFI-400945 and centrinone in Ewing's sarcoma cells

Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. James Beck, Dr. Jürgen Sonnemann
2019 - 2020

We investigated the polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) inhibitors CFI-400945 and centrinone for their effectiveness in Ewing's sarcoma cell lines. We found them to elicit cell death in both p53 wild-type and mutant Ewing's sarcoma cells by inducing mitochondrial membrane depolarisation, caspase 3/7 activation, PARP1 cleavage and DNA fragmentation. They also induced a G2/M cell cycle arrest, and CFI-400945 treatment produced polyploidy. Our findings show that PLK4 inhibitors were effective against Ewing's sarcoma cells in vitro and thus provide a rationale for their evaluation in vivo.

CoViThel: SARS-CoViD endothelitis study using retinal vascular analysis

Principal investigator: Dr. Daniel Vilser

DRKS-ID:DRKS00023334

Late effects of COVID in children are still poorly understood. The aim of the study is to find possible correlations of alterations of retinal vessels to the severity of further outcome. Therefore, a dynamic vessel analyzer is used to determine vessel diameter and reaction to flicker lights.

Selected publications

Marx-Blümel L, Marx C, Weise F, Frey J, Perner B, Schlingloff G, Lindig N, Hampl J, Sonnemann J, Brauer D, Voigt A, Singh S, Beck B, Jäger UM, Wang ZQ, Beck JF, Schober A. Biomimetic reconstruction of the hematopoietic stem cell niche for in vitro amplification of human hematopoietic stem cells. PLoS One. 2020 Jun 22; 15(6):e0234638.
Kerschner-Morales SL, Kühne M, Becker S, Beck JF, Sonnemann J. Anticancer effects of the PLK4 inhibitors CFI-400945 and centrinone in Ewing's sarcoma cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2020 Nov; 146(11):2871-2883.